Exchange anisotropy as mechanism for spin-stripe formation in frustrated spin chains

Pregelj, M.; Zaharko, O.; Herak, M.; Gomilšek, M.; Zorko, A.; Chapon, L.C.; Bourdarot, F.; Berger, H.; Arčon, D.

Abstract

We investigate the spin-stripe mechanism responsible for the peculiar nanometer modulation of the incommensurate magnetic order that emerges between the vector-chiral and the spin-density-wave phase in the frustrated zigzag spin-1/2 chain compound β-TeVO4. A combination of magnetic-torque, neutron-diffraction, and spherical-neutron-polarimetry measurements is employed to determine the complex magnetic structures of all three ordered phases. Based on these results, we develop a simple phenomenological model, which exposes the exchange anisotropy as the key ingredient for the spin-stripe formation in frustrated spin systems.

Citation

Pregelj, M., Zaharko, O., Herak, M., Gomilšek, M., Zorko, A., Chapon, L., Bourdarot, F., Berger, H., & Arčon, D. (2016). Exchange anisotropy as mechanism for spin-stripe formation in frustrated spin chains. Physical review B, 94(8), Article 081114(R). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.94.081114

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 9, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Aug 29, 2016
• Publication Date: Aug 29, 2016
• Deposit Date: May 11, 2018
• Journal: Physical review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
• Print ISSN: 1098-0121
• Electronic ISSN: 1550-235X
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 94
• Issue: 8
• Article Number: 081114(R)
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.94.081114
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1331864
• Related Public URLs: https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.04495